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What are we losing?

RichardI

RichardI

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 21, 2007
568
5
Southern Ontario, Canada
Can someone point me to a complete list of features that are being removed in Lion? I have heard that Front Row is being removed (naturally one of the current features I use all the time) and I'd like to see some detail on what else I would be giving up. I already know that a lot of effort has gone into new features in Lion that I care nothing about, but that won't affect me - removal of features will.
Thanks,

Rich :cool:
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

There's also not a pre-installed Java runtime. But you can just download it when you run a Java app.
 
iLog.Genius said:
I would understand that if AppleTV was a huge success but it isn't so I don't know why they would remove it for those who don't have AppleTV and probably will never.
Click to expand...

The ATV2 is a much bigger success than Front Row ever was. And now that ATV runs iOS, Apple isn't going to waste development resources duplicating many of the features on another platform.
 
Thanks for the pointer, Nuck. Looks like it's just Rosetta and Front Row basically. I have a whole bunch of DVD's that I have copied to my HD so that I can sit back and watch them using Front Row and the Apple remote that came with my iMac :eek: . Guess the laugh's on me.

Rich :cool:
 
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I was disappointed by the removal of Front Row. My theory is that as it was basically a full screen interface for iTunes that was designed for the Apple remote and Lion has an emphasis on full screen apps that we may see a front row like full screen mode for iTunes.
 
Damn, I seem to have missed the removal of Front Row! That's annoying as my main screen is an HDTV, and it's good for viewing video since I tend to favour downloadable copies on my hard-drive. Apple TV is nice and all, but when my computer is connected directly into my HDTV already, then why should I need one?

Same with the Mac Mini; with it's small size, HDMI connection, and wireless it's just as usable in a living room setup as the Apple TV, but you can use it as a computer. So Mac Minis will be losing Front Row as well?
 
There are alternatives to Front Row like Plex. In fact Plex is a lot more full featured then Front Row in my opinion. I prefer to use Flex rather then Front Row.
 
I'll give Plex a try, but Front Row was always enough for just playing stuff through my computer. Anyone know if simply copying the Front Row application from Snow Leopard will be enough to keep using it?
 
By the way Plex also supports the Apple remote but if I recall correctly you have to download some utility to make it work.
 
Sodner said:
Maybe they want to do some mods and sell Front Row on the app store? Darn I'm going to miss that too.
Click to expand...
I hope so, considering that the Apple TV version is presumably coded in Objective-C, and running on a version of iOS, then it should be trivial to maintain an OS X version for App Store release or bundling with (at the very least) Mac Minis.

I mean, I love it as it's one of those apps that Apple has just managed to get right; while it might lack some features, everything about it just works as you'd expect, unlike some other media menus out there that do silly things like stop music playback just because you're using the menu to see what else there is, and it's all visually attractive.
 
Jerome Morrow said:
Apple TV is Apple TV and Front Row is Front Row i'm sick of this. Some one said a stupid thing and now half of the forum is running with it.
Click to expand...

You might not like it, but it's the only thing that explains Apple's reasons for killing it. AppleTV provides the better experience in their eyes, so why continue to maintain FrontRow?

The only thing that doesn't make sense is that Apple knew the Mac Mini was bring used as a HTPC as they stuck a HDMI port on there. Maybe they'll include the AppleTV software in the next update. Either that or axe the port.

haravikk said:
I'll give Plex a try, but Front Row was always enough for just playing stuff through my computer. Anyone know if simply copying the Front Row application from Snow Leopard will be enough to keep using it?
Click to expand...

I believe it works with iTunes 10.3, but the 10.5 beta kills it.

Back on topic: iSync was also removed. It works if you bring it over, though.
 
Cougarcat said:
You might not like it, but it's the only thing that explains Apple's reasons for killing it. AppleTV provides the better experience in their eyes, so why continue to maintain FrontRow?

The only thing that doesn't make sense is that Apple knew the Mac Mini was bring used as a HTPC as they stuck a HDMI port on there. Maybe they'll include the AppleTV software in the next update. Either that or axe the port.
Click to expand...

This is BS. A solution to a software on a Mac is a 99 USD device with a 600-700 USD LCD TV? Yeah quite a nice "solution".

Front Row is just a nice fullscreen UI to my iTunes media that's all and there is hardly anything to maintain. It's the way it is since Leopard.

How hard is it to just recompile damn thing and keep it there?

I have an Apple TV 2G with Plex istalled on it. These are two different things.
 
I'm surprised by the number of forum members that are still unaware of the fact the Front Row DOES work on Lion. You must copy files and subfolders from four SL folders to your Lion installation, but, once that's done, it works flawlessly (even with Command-Esc and the remote). For those interested, look for a relevant post of mine in another thread.
 
Jerome Morrow said:
This is BS. A solution to a software on a Mac is a 99 USD device with a 600-700 USD LCD TV? Yeah quite a nice "solution".

Front Row is just a nice fullscreen UI to my iTunes media that's all and there is hardly anything to maintain. It's the way it is since Leopard.

How hard is it to just recompile damn thing and keep it there?
Click to expand...

I agree, I hope they release AppleTV software for the mac. But I doubt they will.
 
BetterTouchTool supports the Apple Remote

http://blog.boastr.net/?p=2548

With BetterTouchTool you can remap the buttons on your remote to do a whole lot of other things.

Media player Movist supports full-screen navigation, so provides a possible alternative to Front Row's video playing capabilities. Obviously no music, trailers or photos, but still. It also supports a wider range of codecs and can play subtitles, so it has some advantages. And in combination with BetterTouchTool you can use it as if it were Front Row (i.e. set it to open up in full screen navigation with the menu button). It's also a lot faster to load.
 
haravikk said:
I hope so, considering that the Apple TV version is presumably coded in Objective-C, and running on a version of iOS, then it should be trivial to maintain an OS X version for App Store release...
Click to expand...

:confused: OK, this is off-topic, but your screwy logic demands an answer...

The Apple TV software and Front Row are different applications, that do different things, with different purposes and functions that exist on different operating systems with different APIs, running on completely different hardware. The fact that they MAY be (actually, probably are) written in the same language does not make it "trivial" to turn one into the other. The only thing they have in common is that they both play media, which is probably the tiniest part of their code.
 
More things lost (not mentioned here before):

  • Ability to hold down alphabetic keys and have them repeat
  • Support of second (or third...) monitors diminished with new Full Screen mode and new Spaces
  • Spaces can no longer be set up on rectangular grid
  • Reduced functionality and accessibility of Application Expose
  • Probably new systems will not come with a reinstall DVD (yet to be seen)
  • There are reports of reduced battery life and greater memory footprint (loss of some available RAM for applications).
  • Lion Server is missing many services that were in Snow Leopard Server and some services have been reduced in features.
 
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